''Northern Exposure'' is the second

mix album A DJ mix or DJ mixset is a sequence of musical tracks typically mixed together to appear as one continuous track. DJ mixes are usually performed using a DJ mixer and multiple sounds sources, such as turntables, CD players, digital audio players ...

by British DJ duo

Sasha & John Digweed Sasha & John Digweed are a British DJ duo comprising Sasha and John Digweed. Digweed had been DJing for ten years before getting a gig at Renaissance where he met Sasha, who had been working the past few years in various acid house music club ...

. Released on 27 September 1996, it is the first in their ''Northern Exposure'' series, followed by ''

Northern Exposure 2 ''Northern Exposure 2'' is the third mix album by British DJ duo Sasha & John Digweed. Released on 14 July 1997, it is the second in their ''Northern Exposure'' series, preceded by '' Northern Exposure'' in 1996 and succeeded by '' Northern Expos ...

'' in 1997 and '' Northern Exposure: Expeditions'' in 1999. There is both a British edition released by

Ministry of Sound Ministry of Sound or Ministry of Sound Group is a multimedia entertainment business based in London with a nightclub, shared workspace and private members' club, worldwide events operation, music publishing business and fitness studio. James ...

and an American edition released by

Ultra Records Ultra Records is an American record label formed in New York City in 1995 by former PolyGram and Virgin Records executive Patrick Moxey. As of December 23, 2012, Ultra entered a global partnership with Sony Music, giving its artists access to ...

in 1997. The British package contains both CDs, whereas the American only has the first disc. In 2013, the album was certified silver in the UK.

Background

The album is a

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

of tracks specially selected and mixed as two different "journeys", the first being the north journey, and the second being the south journey. The DJ duo's following mix albums are also concept albums. Another version of ''Northern Exposure'' was also released as a quadruple vinyl LP in the UK released with the record label of Ministry of Sound. It differs greatly from the CD in that the tracks are not mixed, lacking any DJ-driven transition between tracks. Sasha and Digweed also removed some of the tracks and shuffled the remaining tracks around, to make a new "journey" experience to the listeners. Some tracks are also changed from the North disc to the South disc and vice versa.

Reception

The album reached number 7 initially in the

UK Compilation Chart The UK Compilation Chart is a record chart based on sales of multi artist compilation albums in the United Kingdom. It is compiled weekly by the Official Charts Company (OCC), and each week's Top 40 is published online on the official websites of ...

. In The Mix ranked ''Northern Exposure'' the 5th best mix album of all time in its list of the top 30 ever, saying it's "considered the pinnacle of Sasha and Digweed’s joint efforts, ''Northern Exposure'' confirmed the mastery of both DJs. It’s what every mix-CD wants to be: timeless" ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

'' ranked the album as the 25th "greatest EDM album ever", saying "good DJs take you on a journey", Welsh and English icons Sasha and John Digweed (respectively) – whether working together or separately – specialized on rolling the listener through Nineties EDM's most bucolic landscapes. Their best-loved mix CD is a trippy traipse through the verdant world of progressive house, a genre with one foot in the rave and the other somewhere in the great beyond. Track titles like "Raincry" (by God Within) and "Out of Body Experience" (by Rabbit in the Moon) tell you plenty about where this music’s head is at. Also on this nature hike: William Orbit, well before he met Madonna."

Background

Reception

Track listing

Charts

Certifications

References

External links